Bearing



AQUI 19 1927' w. J. sHAw BEARING Filed Jan. 2o. 1925v .2 Sheets-Sheet' 1' April 19, 1927. 1,625568 vv..L SHAWn BEARING Filed Jan. zo. 1925 z sheets-sheet 2 A Jo Ji? Patented Apr. 19, 17927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WESLEY J. SHAW, OFTIAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSG-NOR lO NEW ENGLAND WOOD HEEL CO., OFI-IAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION F MASSA- CHU'SETTS.

BEARING.

Application filed. January 20, 1923-. Serial No. 613,857.

The present invention relates to shaftand` bearing structures, and more particularly to structures comprising vertically disposed shafts. i

The object of the invention is to improve upon present-day constructions of the abovedescribed character,` to the end that their efficiency and life may be increased, and their manufacture simplified and cheapened.

To the attainment of these ends, the invention ccnsists of the improved shaft, bearing and appliances therefor preferred 4embodiments of which are hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section, aartly in elevation, of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the section being' taken substantially upon the line 1 1 of Fig. 5, looking` in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary similar' section cf a modification; Fig. 3 is an elevation of a bearing plate shown in section in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan of a preferred oil cup shown in section in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig'. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken upon the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken upon the line T T of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 8 vis a plan of the preferred bearing plug illustrated in Fig. 1A

A. preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 1 in connection with a vertically disposed shaft having a portion 2 of relatively enlarged diameter and a portion 4 of relatively reduced diameter that are separated from each otherl by an annular shoulder` 6. A tapered bearing sleeve 8 is fixed to the portion 4 of the shaft, with its upper portion in contact with the shoulder 6 of enlarged diameter, as shown in Fig. 1. The bearing sleeve 8 thus constitutes a tapered bearing portion for what is, in effect, a tapered shaft. It is preferred to mainn tain the sleeve upon the shaft by means Vof a tapered pin 10 within a transversely disposed tapered opening 12in the portion 4 of the shaft and oppositely disposed openings 14 and 16 of the bearing sleeve 8 that aline with the tapered opening` 12.

The taperedsleeve 8 bears against the lwalls'of a tapered bore 18 of a bushing 2O that is mounted 1n a vertically disposed lubricant that is contained within the cup` 22 will be caused to travel upward, by centrifugal force, between the tapered sleeve 8 and the walls of the bore 18, then over the top of the bushing 20, and finally downward. through the oil ports, back to the bottom of the cup 22. This circulation of the oil is continued Vso long as the shaft rotates, which assures the presence of a film of oil between the bearing sleeve 8 and the walls of the bore 18 during the rotation of the shaft.

An annular nut 26 is threaded into internally provided threads 28 at the top of the cup 22 to 'keep dirt and other impurities from the bearing parts and the oil. The nut is threaded into contact with the top' of the bushing 2O to maintain the latter in position. In order not to close the oil ports 24, which would interfere with the circulation of the oil over the top of the bushing 20 and into the oil ports 24, Ithe bottom wall of the nut 26 is cut away, or beveled, as shown at 30. The nut 26 is made expansi ble toV cause it to engage closely the interior walls of the cup 22, and thus to prevent accidental loosening of the nut. In the partieular, Vembodiment vof the invention'that is herein illustrated andy described, the expansive property is imparted to the nut by slitting Vit at A split collar 34, through which Vthe portion 2 of the shaft extends into the cup 20, is mounted within the annular nut, and is shown resting against the tapered sleeve 8. A set screw 36 is threaded into an ear 38 of the collar 34 and engages an oppositely disposed ear 40. By screwing and unscrewing the set screw 36, the collar 34 may be expanded and contracted to engage the annular nut 26 more or less tightly, as desired, and thus to vary the degree of expansion of the nut 26. This, in turn, will determine whether the nut 26 will engage the interior walls of the cup 2O more or less tightly. To render the split collar readily expansible, it is further slit at 42, preferably at a point midway between the ears 38 and 40. The nut 26 may obviously be rotated'by rotating the collar 34, all that is necessary for this purpose being to eX# pand the collar Bil to a degree suilicient to bind against the nut 2G, but with a binding' action not too great to cause the nut QG to bind against the cup 22. The nut 26 may, however7 be rotated imlependently ot the collar 3l by means ot pins #lll that may be engaged by a spanner wrench.

The bearing' sleeve is preferably ot steel, and the bushing- 20 of bronze. The wear will thereiiore taire place in the bron/:e bushingl S20, and may be compensated tor. ilroin time to time, by vertically adjustingr the bushing` 2() in the cup without a'lectingr the position ot the shatt. The adjustment may be eil'ected by means et a screw Llo that threaded into the bottom or end wall oi the cup as shown in Fig. G, and the upper end oit which engages the bushiin;` 20 at etti. The nut 26 must irst be unscrewed. after which the screw Lili is actuated to raise the bushing. A loci: nut all is then tightened to hold the screw lo in position. aiter which the nut is returned into contact with the top of the bushing' tl, and expanded into close engagement with the interior walls otl the cup 20, as before described.

The above-described construction affords a very secure and evenly balanced i'nountine Afor the various parts. ior 'the nut 2G engages all portions of 'the top of the bushing' :20 with even pressure throughout. The parts are so proportioned, furthermore, as to prevent any leaking' or other waste ot oil.

The lower end ol the shatt rests against the bottom wall ot the cup, which acts as a thrust bearin` therefor. ln order to compensate tor wear, without disturbing` the position ol" the shalt, it becomes necessary to adjust the thrust-bearingv portion ot the bottoni of the cup. Two diilierent constructions are shown in Figs. l and 2. ln both constructions, the thrust-bearing portion is provided upon a bearing plugl that is threaded into a screw-threruled opening 52 that is provided in the bottoni wall ot the cup. 'lhis permits olf wholly removing' the plug `troni the cup :2:2 without necessitating taking the remainder oi' the structure apart. Such construction is particularly advantageous in connection with the plug 5l, shown in Fig. 2 as provided with a reversible bearing plate 56; tor when the bearingl plate wears down. the plug?,y al may be screwed out oit its mounting in the bottoni otL the cup, the bearing;` plate 5G may7 be reversed, and the plugl may then be returned in place. l'n the particular' construction shown, the blug :il is provided with two upward projecting` pins ab. and 'the bearing' plate 5S is provided with two openings G that are adapted to receive the pins, whereby the bearingl plate is removably secured to the plug. In thismodilication, the end oit the shatt is hollowed out at ti to receive a ball (il against which the end ot the shaft engages and which is adapt ed to rest upon the bearing plate between the pins S.

The preferred embodiment shown in Fig. l does not depend upon the use et a ball (il. The lower end of the shailt shown in this figure is not hollowed out, as in Fig. 2, but is perfectly plane. and it rests against the uper correspondingly plane surlace to of a plugl G8. Some means must be provided r'or maintainina lubrieatlingi` lihn between `the lower end of the shafl't and the thrustbearing surface (iti ot the plug (38 during the rotation ot' the shalt. The desired result is attained, according `lo the illustrative einw bodiinent ot the invention, by providing the plug with a central longitudinally disposed opening 'TO and with a transversely di posed opening Til communicating therewith. The oil trom the cup is thus supplied to the longitudinally disposed opening T0 through the transversely disposed openingl T2. The bearing surface titi is provided with one or more grooves il into which the oil liows trom the longitudinally disposed opening TU. As the shal't rotates, therefore, the oil in the grooves 7l will be caused to spread over the tlnust-bearing surface G6 of the plug, maintaininpr a lubricating` film between the end ol the shalt and the thrust bearing.

rllhe plug' (38 is preferably ot bronze or any other suitable material to minimize any possibility ot wear ot the steel shaft. Adjustment ol the plug ($8 to compensate it'or wear is readily eltected by merely screwing` the plug` in Afurther.

To accommodate dillerent shafts, provi sion is made tor vertically adjustingthe cup 22. The cup is integrally cast with ears 7G that are ln'ovided with vertically elongated openings TS whereby it may be secured in vertically adjusted position upon a trame 8b by means ol bolts vVertical adjustment may be eliected by a screw S-l that is mounted in a hij*Y titi olf the `lrame Sl) and that is adapted to engrae'e a lug Htl that is integral with one ol the ears To.

rl`he desirability ot maintaining the oil i'ree trom impurities has been referred to above, and a.,1 relerred construct-.ion tor attaining this end has been described. The described construction would be useless with present-day oil cups, that are thel'nselves not prooi against the entrance ol impurities. It is accordingly among the features ot the present invention to provide an iinproved oil cup 90.

This oil cup has not. only the customary bottom wall 92 and side walls 94, but a top wall 96 as well. rThe top wall is provided with an opening 9&3 through which the oil may be admitted into the cup. A cover plate 100 for the openingl 98 is adapted to Contact. with the top wall 9G on all sides ol lui) the opening to prevent the entry of impurities into the cup. The cover plate 100 is pivoted at 102 so as to swing in the horizontal plane of the top plate 96, and is provided with a latch 104 for holding the cover plate in closed position.

The oil cup 90 is connected to the cup 22 by a pipe 106 through which'oil may pass from the oil cup 90 to the cup 22. The pipe is connected yto a drilled oil hole 108 that is vertically provided in the cup 22 and that extends to an annular oil chamber 110 between the cup 22 and the bushing 20. This construction prevents siphoning out of the oil. tends to maintain the oil at the desired level, and permits the use of a comparatively large oil cup 90.

Many modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall Within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described having, in combination, a tube, an expansible split element in the tube, a member within the split element, and means for actuating the member to expand the split element into close engagement with the interior .walls of the tube.

2. A device of the class described having, in combination, an internally screw-threaded tube, an expansible, annular nut threaded in the tube, a split collar within theannular nut, and means for expanding the split collar toexpand the nut into closepengagement with the interior walls Aof the tube.

3. A devi-ce ,of the class described, having, in combination, an internally screwthreaded tube, a. bushing in the tube having a tapered bore, an expansible annular nut threaded in the ktube in contact with the bushing, an expansible collar within the annular nut, a tapered shaft extending into the tube through the expansible collar bear` ing against the walls of the tapered bore, and means for expanding the expansible collar to expand the nut into close engagement with the interior walls ofthe tube.

Il. A device of the class described having, in combination, an internally screw-threaded tube, a bushing in the tube having a tapered bore, a split annular nut threaded in the tube in contact with the bushing, a split collar within the'annular nut, a shaft extending into the tube through the split collar, a tapered sleeve fixed to the shaft bearing against the walls ofthe tapered bore, the split collar resting against the tapered sleeve, and means for expanding the split collar to expand the split nut into close engagement with the interior walls of the tube.

Ywall of the nut being cut away so as not to close the oil ports, a split collar within the annular nut, a vertically disposed shaft extending` into the cup through the collar with its end resting against the bottom wall of the cup, a tapered sleeve fixed to the shaft bearing against the walls of the tapered bore, whereby lubricant contained in the cup is adapted, during the rotation of the shaft, to travel upward between the tapered sleeve and the walls of the tapered bore, then over the top of the bushing and under the nut, and finally downward, through the oil ports, to the bottoni of the cup, the split collar resting against the tapered sleeve, and means for expanding the split collar to expand the split nut into close engagement with the interior walls of the cup.

6. A device of the class described having, in combination, a frame, an internally screwthreaded cup adjustably mounted upon the frame in vertically disposed position, means for securing the cup in adjusted position upon the frame, a bushing in the cup having a tapered bore Vand vertically disposed oil ports, means for adjusting the vertical position of the bushing in the cup, a split annular nut threaded in the cup in contact with the bushing, the bottom wall of the nut being cut away so as not to close the oil ports, a split collar within the annular nut, a vertically disposed shaft extending into the cup through the collar, the bottom wall of the cupbeing provided with a thrust bearing against which the end of the shat rests', a tapered sleeve fixed to the shaft bearing against the walls of the tapered bore, a lubricant-containing cup .connected to the adjustably mounted cup,

whereby a lubricant is adapted to pass from the lubricant-containing cup to the adjustably mounted cup, means for maintaining a lubricant film between the shaft and the thrust bearing during the rotation of the shaft, the split collar resting against the tapered sleeve, and means for expanding the split collar to expand the split nut ninto y close angagement with the interior walls of the adjustable cup.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Vsubscribed my name this 17th day of J anuary, 1923.

WESLEY J. SHA1/V. 

